I Am Louis XIV

I would like to use this chapter to pay tribute to all the medical workers in this epidemic, before, now and in the future for ordinary people like us - risking life and death, fearless retrograde, sticking to their posts, and fighting for the battle!

————

orleans.

It’s no wonder that the royal brothers of all dynasties will be enshrined in Orleans. Orleans is located in the center of France, only 30 miles away from Paris, the heart of France. It only takes one day and night to reach the Louvre by carriage, and the speed of driving a horse will be faster. , it is not only flat and rich in products, but the largest river in France, the Loire River, directly passes through the city, while the Loire River, a tributary of the Loire River, flows under Orleans.

It was born during the reign of Gaul, was destroyed by war in the first century, and was later rebuilt by the Roman emperor Celerian. Its name "Orleans" also came from this, in the tenth and eleventh centuries , Orleans is the capital of France, and the last time it was engraved in people's hearts, it was because it had fallen to the enemy-in 1429, it was once occupied by the British army. Frenchman, this is an indelible disgrace. In 1626, it was awarded to the second son of Henry IV, the younger brother of Louis XIII, Gaston. Of course, we all know that he has always been ambitious and unscrupulous, but his conspiracy and rebellion eventually failed. Destroyed by the bishop and the king, he finally passed away in exile in Blois full of resentment. He had no children in wedlock, and finally the domain and title were inherited by Louis XIV's younger brother Philip.

If Louis is willing, Gaston can be put on the stage of Molière almost intact-an ambitious man, not only failed to get what he dreamed of, but left everything he had to the son of the enemy.

It’s just that it’s a bit embarrassing for the people of Orleans. When Louis was young, they could bully this ruler who had no power in their hands as much as they wanted. For Gaston’s ambitions, they first held a kind of similarity. With a cold-eyed attitude, he later erected the puppet of Gaston, Duke of Orleans on purpose—this was something Louis learned about a long time later—maybe you remember the "Daughter of Orleans" that the Duchess of Montpensier obtained in Orleans. "The title, which belonged to Joan of Arc before, although the Parliament of Orleans recognized the Duchess of Montpensier's power in the city under the enthusiasm of the people at that time, but when the Duchess returned to Paris, After everyone calmed down, this power became a dead letter.

However, if the people of Orleans want to fall this kind of trick on the king's brother Philip, it is a big mistake. The Duchess of Montpensier has only her maids, but the new Duke of Orleans has his army. Generosity is not limited to lace and gems, and Philip has learned from his brother, if not all, at least most of the time, the sword comes first, and the mercy second - the Orleans Council quickly surrendered to the king. However, if you want to say how willing they are, that would be wishful thinking, so when the king decided to concentrate the Huguenots in the Orleans area and send the Bohemian witches here, Not much to worry about.

Orleans originally had many Huguenots. The famous Orleans Cathedral of St. Croix is ​​a huge Protestant church. There is no holy water basin at the entrance, no kneeling stools in front of the chairs, no confessional room and Way of the Cross, and no Apostles Twelve. There are no signs, no altar crosses, the tempera and statues are almost all about Joan of Arc, and the colorful banners protruding diagonally from the pillars represent all the towns of Orléans.

It was dusk, and there were not many people in the church. An old scholar was sitting on a bench with his eyes closed and meditating. Although his expression was peaceful, he was very serious, as if he was having a dialogue with God that ordinary people could not understand. It is a pity Yes, the scene was broken after a few minutes, when a man sat uncomfortably close beside him.

"Stop it," the middle-aged scholar said immediately, "I'm just a doctor and won't get involved in any political affairs."

"Even for our faith?"

"For your desires." The middle-aged scholar said: "Stop talking, aren't you afraid to break your tongue before God? Ask yourself, if it's for your faith, for the people, you shouldn't start any rebellion, He said with condemnation: "The sage has told us that when the doomsday comes, there will be war, and then there will be famine, followed by plague, and endless death will surround them. Let the people of this land find peace, and stop the rivers from being filled with blood and corpses."

"Shouldn't those who let the river be full of blood and corpses first get retribution?!"

"Hatred is wildfire," the middle-aged scholar warned him. "No soul can be redeemed from it."

"I would rather sink into purgatory with the traitor!"

The middle-aged scholar shook his head in disappointment: "Your king is not a tyrannical person, nor is he a stupid person. He has grown up and become strong. You can't bear his sword. Stop it, as long as he Also willing to recognize the 'Edict of Nantes'."

"There are always things that cannot coexist in this world. We and they are like this. We must only have one of the two."

"Then let's go," said the middle-aged scholar, "I'm just a foreigner and I can't help you."

"You disappoint me."

"That's the way life is, boy," said the middle-aged scholar, and the man beside him took a deep breath, pulled his hood up, stood up from his chair, and disappeared faster than he had come.

————

Thomas Sidonham sighed, he is an Englishman, of course, a Protestant of course, but he really didn't expect that he was lucky enough not to be dragged into riots and conspiracies when he was in London, but he encountered such a thing in Orleans That sort of thing, except that, as he said, he loathed any political or religious struggle and would not take part in it anyway.

And he's really just a doctor.

Dr. Setonham was born in 24 years and is 46 years old this year. He is an Englishman and is one of the royal physicians of Charles II. He has his own industry and reputation in London, but the reason why he is willing to accept French The king's invitation was not only because of the suggestion of Charles II, but also because he was attracted by the ideas expounded by Louis XIV. As we have described before, the doctor of the seventeenth century, more like a butcher than his real duty, their medical books are full of guanchang, bloodletting, branding iron and amputation, all kinds, large and small Surgery is popular, but Setonham runs counter to this trend. Compared with surgery, he pays more attention to the research and classification of the source of disease and self-healing function.

In his letter to his friends, he was not very in favor of physical anatomy and physiological experiments, which are highly praised by many doctors. He paid more attention to the patient's description of the body, disease and past experience, and hoped to deduce the real culprit from this, so Although he has become an imperial doctor, he still often runs around in the backcountry to collect medical records such as syphilis, pneumonia, diphtheria, and chorea (ergot poisoning, which is an uncontrollable dancing behavior caused by moldy wheat. people think that poisoned people are under the curse of the devil), rheumatism and hysteria.

The king of France said that he intends to set up a huge institution in Orleans, including a large hospital, a sanatorium, a research institute, and a college. Although, even this idea is only a prototype, Sidonham is still getting Charles II. After permission, he rushed here day and night, and the French king was full of sincerity. Considering the current tense situation, he even sent his most valued musketeer guards to escort Dr. Setonham all the way to Orleans.

The expected venue of the king is Blois. The Blois Valley is the birthplace of the French royal family. The Castle of Blois was once inhabited by seven kings and ten queens. It is regarded as the jewel in the crown. Blois moved to Paris, but Blois became a place of exile. After the last exile, Duke Gaston, died cursed in the castle, his wife and daughter also moved away. Just like that, it has been vacant, and it has even been a bit deserted in the past few years-the castle has been abandoned faster than the house-in just a few years, it has overgrown with grass and broken walls and ruins everywhere.

Louis remembered it because he couldn't decide where to put the hospital and the college for a while, because the medical college and the hospital might do some research on infectious diseases in the future, so it couldn't be set up in a densely populated place , and cannot be set up in too remote places, after all, patients, equipment, and medicines all need convenient transportation, and there are also high requirements for water sources, and there are many, many rooms and wide venues—and it can satisfy the last one. Almost only the palace and the castle were required, and the Castle of Blois entered Louis's choice.

No, it doesn't mean that this is the last choice. Sidonham came to Orleans just to see if the Castle of Blois can take on this important task, although as a doctor, he would like to see a The first king attached great importance to the development of medicine, but Sidonham was also worried. After all, the castle of Blois is of great significance. Fortunately, the French king also said that he only needed professional advice, and it was Louis X who made the final decision. Four, this reassured Sidonham a lot.

Who knew that just after he came to Orleans, someone wanted to instigate him to become a nail that the Huguenots put in the side of Philip, the Duke of Orleans, and even the King of France?

He is just a doctor!

Thomas Sidonham couldn't help sighing again, because he was constantly disturbed, he wrote a few days in advance, and wrote to two other professionals trusted by the king, that is, the other two doctors, hoping to talk to them as soon as possible Meet in Blois.

Unexpectedly, when the letter came back, the messenger was unwilling to enter the hotel where he lived, and brought a message that he was required to pour spirits on the outside of the envelope before opening the letter.

This message immediately made Sidonham vigilant. He immediately followed the other party's instructions and soaked the buckskin cover outside the letter with spirits before opening the letter with gloves on. The content of the letter was very simple, that is, Blue A plague suddenly broke out in the Brenner area on the south side of Van. The two future colleagues all decided to stay there, observe and treat, and let him decide whether to go or not.

certainly! Sidonham made a decision without hesitation. He wrote a reply letter similar to a short note and asked the messenger to take it away. He called his servants and disciples and left immediately.

He met those people again at the post station. Seeing those cold eyes, Dr. Setonham smiled, "You know I have received a letter."

"Yes." The leader said.

"You stole it," said Setonham. "It's a pity that I soaked it in strong wine. Although I could still see the contents when I looked at it, after you took it away, the writing was blurred." I don't know."

"That's exactly why we're here."

"I suppose so. Do you know where it came from, then?"

"Blois?"

"Blois, too," said Setonham calmly, "that's why, gentlemen, I've soaked it in strong wine, which clears away evil spirits," and he looked into those eyes suddenly flustered Get up: "I don't know how many of you have touched it, but if you have, I suggest that you better shut yourself in your room during these times, don't see anyone, don't talk to anyone, and don't Don't open the windows at will, let alone defecate anywhere..."

The disciple of Sidonham suddenly cried out, for he saw the black muzzle of the musket.

"What plague?!" The leader pulled out his musket in a swift manner, aimed at Sidonham and asked sharply.

"The biggest possibility is smallpox." Setonham said calmly, having seen the young faces: "I'll say it again... shut yourself up, especially if there are young people around you." Children... feeble old people... slender women..."

"If you're just lying..." said the leader.

"I hope it's a lie," said Setonham. "I'm going there, gentlemen, and my colleagues are waiting for me. Of course, if you don't believe me, you can go with me." , but you need to know that once you get there, you can never come back here—at least not for a few months.”

Those people hesitated, and although the leader was resolute, Sidonham still heard words like "conspiracy", "lie", "plague", "king's lackey", etc. Although he could speak French, French There were also dialects, and the pronunciation of the Parisians was different from that of the Orleans. He was not sure, and while they were arguing, the old man dozed off on the seat of the carriage.

Such a reaction of course provoked the resentment of those who felt humiliated, but their leader stopped them: "You know there is smallpox there, and you want to go there? You are not even a Frenchman!"

"Ah, I know, it's dangerous there, it belongs to France, and I'm just a foreigner," Sidon Ham carefully wiped the corners of his mouth, he was not yet old enough to fall asleep anytime and anywhere, or rather, had passed It's been a long time since he was that age, but he knows he has to recharge his batteries because there's a long, hard fight ahead of him.

"But I'm a doctor," said Setonham.

—————

Setonham left Old Orleans, but to his surprise and dismay, the Huguenots, knowing that he was going to the smallpox, split off one of them to follow him, the Man was their leader, and though many had dissuaded him from the idea—he had managed to persuade them. At this moment, even Sidonham felt a little depressed: "Do you know what smallpox is, sir?"

The man nodded.

"Have you ever had this disease?"

"No."

"Then do you know how dangerous it is?" said Setonham. "Well, sir, if you must follow, then turn back when you get to Blois, and there you shall be able to give up your allegiance to me." Suspected."

The man flicked his hat slightly: "Unfortunately, I don't think I can."

"What the hell, why!"

"Because I'm also a doctor." The man said flatly: "I can't tell you my name, but I can tell you that my surname is Chamborance."

"Chambrance?" Setonham could not help exclaiming. "Chamberlain?"

"My family did change to this surname after they went to England." The man said, "I'm just a side descendant. When they left France, my father insisted on staying in Orleans."

"Ah, ah," said Setonham, "I didn't expect to find a Chamberlain here."

Speaking of the Chamberlain family, they are well-known in the UK, mainly because they have special and genius skills in dystocia. Countless mothers and children have escaped from the devil's claws under their wonderful hands, but they cherish their brooms and never Willing to share their secret technology with anyone, so that the British Medical Association has always been very dissatisfied and indifferent to them, but for a person like Setonham, he will never give up any knowledge related to medicine. Once in a while galloping through narrow, muddy streets just to see the Chamberlain family's "midwifery machine."

The machine and its owner arrived at the maternity's residence in a carriage. No one except Chamberlain and his son could open it. The wooden box containing the machine needed two people to lift it. The box was decorated with gilt reliefs. , covered with leather, extravagant, but what's inside, no one knows—Chamberlain is only willing to operate when everyone but the mother is out of the room, and during the operation, the mother's body The eyes are also blindfolded, the lower body is covered with a blanket, and the Chamberlain family operates under the blanket. The people outside the room and the mother can only hear the sound of various metal collisions.

Of course, the behavior of the Chamberlain family caused dissatisfaction among many doctors, but they were helpless. Because of this proud skill, the Chamberlain family not only gained a firm foothold in London, but also successively became the surgeons of King James I and Queen Charles I. Doctors and midwives, Charles II was delivered by Peter of the Chamberlain family. They also wanted to establish a midwife guild in London, but they had aborted because of the resistance of the medical school.

As soon as Chamberlain was mentioned, Sidonham's expression became a lot more relaxed. Perhaps for this scholar, a doctor is undoubtedly much easier to communicate than a mob. What troubled him was, "I don't know if they are redundant. protective clothing?"

This Chamberlain nodded slightly. "It's all right," he said. "My servant has gone to get it. He will catch up with us."

Sure enough, a few hours later, a panting servant and a sweaty horse came in front of them. Chambrance opened the box directly in front of Sidonham, and checked the protective clothing inside, from gloves to Hats, from hats to visors, from visors to robes, from robes to tight leather pants, "Where's the walking stick?" Sidonham couldn't help asking.

"I have muskets," said Chambrance dryly.

"You've got to have a cane anyway, or you're not going to examine a patient," said Setonham. "But that's all right, there's plenty of canes."

Chamberlain gave him one last look, then turned to the servant. "Are those who touched the letter self-imposed?"

The servant hesitated.

Chamberlain's expression suddenly became severe: "No!?"

"Part, sir, part!" The servant said hastily, "A few people said it was...just a needless intimidation, and they..."

"It's just cowardice." Chamborance added, "They are just worried that if this gentleman goes to inform, they will be caught immediately. You go back immediately and warn them, and immediately choose a secret and remote place to isolate from the outside world. If they've met other people, or been intimate with other people, try to get those people locked up!"

The servant squirmed awkwardly.

"Tell them, if they don't want the city of Orleans to become a second Florence, do it!" Chamborance ordered in a low voice: "I will follow this Englishman all the way to the epidemic area, and let them do what I say If they don't want to, then," he waved his arms, as if to dispel the shadow of the plague, "from now on, don't see me again!"

"Sir!" the servant said aggrievedly, "We don't know yet..."

"I'm also skeptical," Chamborance said, "but I can tell you, and I can tell them, that there are some things in this world that cannot be justified."

He picked up the box, threw it into Setonham's carriage, and mounted his horse. "That's the end of my words. God bless us. Bless everyone in Orleans."

They went on the road again, and Sidonham endured it for a few minutes. He poked his head out and looked out. After hesitating for a moment, he saw the servant turn around and gallop away: "Do you think they will do what you say?"

"It will," said Chambrance.

This succinct answer made Sidonham feel a little inadequate. He paused for a few seconds, and then asked fearlessly: "Did you just say, bless all people in Orleans, including Catholics?"

"Shut up, foreigner!"

—————

Setonham and Chambrance arrived at Blois early the next morning.

The epidemic occurred in the Brena area on the south side of Blois. Fortunately, this place, like Versailles, was once the hunting ground of the French king, retaining a large area of ​​forests and swamps, and there are only a few villages and towns. Although the epidemic has spread to seven The village, but it has not yet swept across Blois like a prairie fire. Two of Sidonham's colleagues, the organizers of the medical school appointed by the king, are waiting for Sidonham here.

Although they were all quite surprised at how Sidonham would bring Chambranc, they could make Louis trust him, that is to say, these two people were not only loyal, but also professionally simple, so they immediately accepted Chambranc.

There are two people here, one is Malbiggio from Italy, he is forty-two years old this year, he is still young and strong, and the other is worrying, because he is almost eighty years old, and he is the wife of King Louis XIV. Chief Physician, Charles De, Lom.